About Dunoon
History
Early History
Cowal Peninsula has been inhabitated by people since the Neolithic era with ruins of settlements discovered the Ardnadam area of Dunoon.
In the Middle Ages, Dunoon was a strategic point on the Firth of Clyde with Dunoon Castle sitting on a conical hill overlooking the area. It was heavily disputed by the Campbell and Lamont clans and now only low walls remain.
Victorian Era
Dunoon and many settlements on the Clyde grew exponentially during the Victorian Era when steamship tourism took off in the Firth of Clyde. Dunoon is still famous to this day as a tourist destination for Glasgwegians going doon the watter, and the echos of its Victorian past still dominate with the Victorian pier, the seaside promenades, and the coastal villas.
From 1961 to 1992, Sandbank on the Holy Loch was a garrison town for the US Navy, and the town was forever shaped by the American presence in the area.
Today
Dunoon is reinventing itself as a tourist destination once again, marketing itself to outdoors enthusiasts and wildlife lovers, as well as holding festivals, events and the world famous Cowal Highland Gathering.
Easily accessible from Glagow, but also right on the doorstep of the Highlands and the Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park, Dunoon and the Cowal Peninsula offers a lot for Scots and international visitors alike.
How to Get here
Public Transport
Dunoon is easily accessible by public transport, and we recommend you use this method. Take the train from Glasgow Central to Gourock. Then the passenger ferry from Gourock to Dunoon. Check Scotrail.co.uk for train timetables and CalMac.co.uk for ferry times. This video shows the entire trip from Glasgow Central to Dunoon.
By Car
Western Ferries operates a car ferry from McInroy’s Point, Gourock, to Hunter’s Quay, Dunoon. Check Westernferries.co.uk for timetables and cost.
You can also drive to Dunoon without taking a ferry via the A82 and A815 from Glasgow, although this option is likely to be longer, and the Rest and Be Thankful pass can be affected and possibly shut by winter weather conditions. Here are Google Maps directions for driving from Glasgow.
